Essays
Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.
The effort of the commute
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.
What the loyalty card teaches us about pride
The mind is built for a different world. It copes remarkably well with this one.
A short history of the second helping
What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.
Regret is a social kind of hope
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
Why we queue without complaint
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.
The case against the honest mistake
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.
In praise of the school run
A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.
What the second helping teaches us about doubt
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.
The trust of the borrowed book
We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.
What the group chat teaches us about kindness
The evidence is clear, the incentives are not, and the incentives usually win.
In praise of the empty diary
Most advice assumes a person who never existed.